


Naive Melody (This Must Be the Place)

by CourtneyCourtney



Series: Stubborn Love [3]
Category: Bob's Burgers (Cartoon)
Genre: (from my last fic lmao), Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Light Angst, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-18 12:34:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18249947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourtneyCourtney/pseuds/CourtneyCourtney
Summary: "I can't really say anything else," Tina replies, voice tinny from being on speakerphone. "You'd have to ask Gene, and I don't think he's ready to share...""Gene, what are you planning?" asks Bob. Louise folds her arms across her chest, grateful she has some muscle on her side.Gene brings his hands down to the counter, palms still up. It must be serious, Louise thinks. He hasn't touched his keyboard in thirty seconds and it's right in front of him. "All I can say is that I have something big to reveal, but I'm not coming out until I'm good and ready."(or, where did Gene go to college in the second half ofheaven help the fool who falls in love?)





	Naive Melody (This Must Be the Place)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So everything you see here was originally part of _heaven help the fool who falls in love_. These scenes were about halfway through Chapter Two, and I loved them dearly. However, the more I really looked at them, the less they added to the arc of that particular story. Like, I thought they're great, but they were a detour from the main Rudy/Louise journey, so out they went.
> 
> That said, you don't need to have read any of the other fics in this series to understand what's happening here. Note that Tina is 19, Gene is 17, and Louise is 15.
> 
> Title is from a Talking Heads song (that The Lumineers and Kishi Bashi both covered, so don't worry, I'm still on my indie bullshit)
> 
> (Full disclosure: I rag on decaf coffee, but it's all I drink anymore. I can't handle my caffeine, yo.)

Louise forgets how diabolical Tina can be, but she always seems to remember it at the worst times. Like now, for instance. It’s the week before Spring Break, and her sister is plotting something.

“It’s just a party,” Tina promises for the millionth time, voice tinny from being on speakerphone. Louise goes to grab at her bunny ears and winds up with fistfuls of her hair instead.

"I _know_ ," says Louise. "But why?"

"I told Dad it would be a good time for a catch-all celebration," Tina explains.

Dad hums in agreement, coming out of the kitchen to stand at the counter with Louise, Gene, and the cell phone. "Your mom and I are both turning fifty this year, plus it's our anniversary... soon?"

Gene plunks out the tune of the losing horns from _The Price is Right,_ hitting a random blast of notes to finish.

"Not soon," Bob amends. "But at some point this year, and since I'm always forgetting, we're going to be proactive."

"Plus it's a week-slash-weekend I'll be home," Tina adds. Her first real Spring Break, and she's doing the responsible thing by staying home to save money. She's been home for three weekends and Christmas break, but their family is still counting the days to her return.

"Uh-huh," says Louise, "but it's more than that." She looks up from the phone, eyeing her brother across the counter.

"I can't really say anything else," Tina replies. "You'd have to ask Gene, and I don't think he's ready to share..."

Gene puts his hands up in mock surrender. "Don't put me on the spot! Or do, I love the drama, but not like this, T, we had an agreement!"

"Gene, what are you planning?" asks Dad. Louise folds her arms across her chest, grateful she has some muscle on her side.

Gene brings his hands down to the counter, palms still up. It must be serious, Louise thinks. He hasn't touched his keyboard in thirty seconds and it's right in front of him. "All I can say is that I have something big to reveal, but I'm not coming out until I'm good and ready."

"It’s a little late for that; I mean, aren’t you dating Lenny?" says Bob, but Louise is done listening, turning to busy herself with the register. Her stomach dropped the minute Gene mentioned a 'reveal.' She'd been diligent about throwing out all the college brochures and post-secondary school fliers that have come in the mail, but she knew that would only go so far. Of course Gene would be researching places online, would have some place halfway across the country picked out and packed up for. He's a senior in high school, and there wasn't anything Louise could do to stop that, so. Here they are.

Louise is fine with waiting to know. It's what she tells herself all through movie night at Rudy's. It's what she tells herself as she stares at the ceiling of her bedroom that night. It's what she tells herself in the mirror the next morning, dark circles under her eyes. So what if the gnawing feeling in her stomach makes her skip breakfast?

Louise's stomach isn't any better through dinner that night, even with her sister's knee knocking against her thigh under the table.

"Awww," says Mom as she sets all five plates down. "Our first dinner as a real family this year!"

"Since December," Dad corrects her, although his voice sounds like he swallowed something wrong.

"Dad, are you crying?" asks Gene.

"It's okay, Dad," says Tina. "You can all come visit me and eat in the cafeteria sometime."

Bob clears his throat. "Thanks, Tina. That sounds... terrible, actually."

Gene points his fork in his dad's direction. "What do you have against cafeteria food?"

"It's not - never mind, we're not getting into this," says Bob. "Eat."

Louise does as she's told for once. She has some plotting to do, letting her mind race as her siblings' chatter keeps her parents occupied. It's almost like old times, she thinks.

Just "almost," though. Tina looks different when she comes back. She always does, just a little bit. She started growing her hair out, and it's already longer and wavier than Louise remembers.

"I also got new glasses finally," Tina tells her sister as Louise shoves her stuff back in her old closet later that night, ceding Tina's room back to her for the week. "I can't believe no one has said anything yet. The frames are a little bit different."

Louise squints at Tina's face, trying to spot said difference. "Navy blue instead of black?"

"Yeah," says Tina. "Also I tried contacts for a week, but it felt weird not having pressure on my face and on my ears. I didn't recognize myself in the mirror, either. It was like, who am I anymore?"

Louise finishes cleaning up her mess and thumps down onto the mattress. "Never change, Tina."

"Stay gold, Ponygirl!" Gene shouts through the wall. Tina's mouth twitches like she's about to laugh.

"Gene, get in here!" Louise yells back.

"Why?" Gene shouts. "What are you plotting?"

" _Just_..." Louise growls. "Get in here!"

"Where is 'here'?" yells Gene. "What part of the house are you in?"

"Which part do you _think_?" says Louise.

"Am I getting warmer?" Gene replies. His voice is, in fact, slightly closer to Louise's room.

" _Gene, Louise, Tina_ ," Dad yells from the kitchen. "Just go downstairs if you're going to make this much noise!"

" _What?_ " says Tina under her breath, "I wasn't even - "

"Fine, we will!" Gene shouts over her as he opens the door to Louise's room. "Let's _go_ , before these honkies are taking away all our fun! What's next, telling us to turn down our music? Telling us to sew the sleeves back on our denim jackets?"

"IIIIIIII don't follow what's happening here," says Bob.

"It's fine, we're going, we're going." Louise pushes past Gene to head downstairs to restaurant. She knows her brother and sister will follow, and that one of them will be wise enough to bring their set of keys for the building.

 

"Okay,"  Louise declares once they're settled into the restaurant. She's standing behind the counter, doing her best to look intimidating. Tina and Gene stare back at her from across the way, seated on the stools like they're waiting to judge her. "I'm giving you both this one, final chance to tell me what's going on," she tells them. "What exactly is Gene's big announcement?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhh," says Tina. "I mean, can't it wait?"

"Absolutely not," says Louise.

"I'm giving you one night and one night only," Gene replies. "If it's not next Saturday yet, then my lips is zipped!"

"But it's _me_!" Louise cries, slapping her hands down on the counter. "Your favorite sister!"

"Hey now," says Tina.

"Sorry, T," Louise adds. "I just don't... I mean why does Tina get to know and I don't?"

"Because I needed her blessing to announce it at the party," Gene explains. "Since is arguably for her. And Mom and Dad. But also Tina. And now that I'm saying it out loud, I realize I'm a terrible brother, but..."

"That's okay," Tina replies. "I'll have other parties."

Louise bites back a sarcasm comment. Throughout this conversation, she's noticed that Gene's eyes keep darting between Tina, the door, and the counter in front of him. It's a little thing, but it makes Louise entertain the crazy thought that maybe, _just maybe_ , her brother is nervous about this thing? That he's worried about how Louise will act to his announcement? That's crazy, though. Maybe.

"Fine," Louise sighs. "Then you leave me no choice. We gotta move this party up."

Gene and Tina share a skeptical look, then turn back to her. "To when?" Tina asks.

"What are we doing tomorrow night?" Louise asks. Currently, the party’s scheduled for next Saturday, the day before Tina goes back upstate. The Saturday that’s tomorrow should work just as well, right? It shouldn’t throw the guests off too much to move it since it’s the same day of the week.

Gene and Tina share another look, but it isn't as nervous this time.

"Uhhh, I have plans with Lenny tomorrow night, but I can move some stuff around," Gene replies, finally making eye contact with Louise.

"Yeah, and Jocelyn and Becky aren't going to be home until Sunday, so I'm free," adds Tina.

"Wait, really?" says Louise. "I mean, yes, perfect. That's... great. Question Number Two - does Mom know Gene's planning to make an announcement?"

Her brother and sister consider it for a minute. "I don't think so," says Tina.

"No, I don't think we told her," Gene confirms. "I mean, I love her but I didn't want her all up in my business before the surprise, you know? She's like a shark, and news is blood in the water!"

"Like _Jaws_ but Mom," Tina adds. "MomJaws? Jawoms? Huh." Her hand flexes like she's reaching for a pen. "I think there's something there."

"Sure," Louise responds. "Except now we _do_ want her to know. If we let it slip to Mom, she'll get all excited and she'll totally be on board with moving the party up a week. That way it's four against one, and even then, I don't think Dad will care much either way."

Tina nods, mentally tracking the new plan.

Gene jumps off his stool. "We have twenty-four hours to decorate! Let's party down!" He turns to Tina. "Are we having fun yet?"

"I don't know," Tina says with a frown. "Are we?"

"Tina, it's from a show," Louise explains.

"Yes!" says Gene, pointing at Louise before turning his attention back to Tina. "And _yes_ , we are! The Belcher kids ride again for the 437th time!"

 

*****

 

The party was never going to be much anyway. Not in Louise’s opinion -- sure, there were a lot of people around town that liked her parents and would definitely come in to hobnob, but it wasn’t like Skip or Warren Fitzgerald or the Kojimas were planning on coming. Nobody cool was going to be there.

Nobody cool was going to be at the new, downsized party either. It _was_ going to be just family, but Teddy and Gretchen found out, and then Linda felt bad not inviting Ginger and Mort. Grandpa and Gayle were coming, and Mike and Marshmallow weren’t around to be invited given the plans were changing on a Saturday morning, but whatever. It was fine; they knew where to find Bob and Linda and wish them well any other week.

(“None of you said anything to any of the Pesto kids about having the party tonight instead of next Saturday, right?” Dad asks after the lunch rush is over.

(Tina, Gene, and Louise look at each other. “No,” says Tina at the same time Louise and Gene also reply in the negative.

(“Great, that’s perfect,” Bob replies. “This party is already better.”)

It kind of sucks at first, Louise thinks once the shindig is in full swing. Her dad is grilling, even though it’s one-third a celebration to honor him. Mom and Tina are being fawned over, and Gene is Gene-ing out, which means Louise has to actually _work_. She runs around, getting drinks and serving food. Louise is not gonna lie – she’s a tad irritated. She _knows_ this isn’t her party, and it's her family, but it’s still kind of annoying to not be the center of attention, especially since she knows Gene has something undoubtedly dramatic in the works.

She's just sat down at the counter to pick at her own cheeseburger and fries when there's a grainy crackling pop and the squeak of sneakers on linoleum, except way closer to her ear. Louise turns to her right to see Gene standing on the counter.

" _Attention everyone!_ " her brother says, aided by his megaphone. Louise is surprised there's life in that old beast yet.

"Gene, get down from there," Mom scolds as she ducks under the counter. She grabs a bottle of wine and pours herself more to drink as Dad comes out of the kitchen to stand beside her.

Gene complies by standing on one of the stools.

"Gene," says Dad.

Her brother huffs. "I still say if I was going to crack my head open in an accident, I would have done it by now!"

"Still," says Bob. "Take it down one more notch."

Gene kneels on the stool and shoots their dad pointed look. "Now, as I was saying," he begins again in a quieter voice since the rest of the group has quieted down and turned to look at him. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I've gathered you here tonight!"

"Gene," their dad says, voice strong with warning. "Don't upstage your sister."

"No, it's okay," Tina tells him. "I signed off on this."

"Anyway," Gene continues. "There comes a time in every young man's life when he reaches a certain crossroads, when he must forge a path of his own. When the high school music department says no, you cannot quote-unquote 'hang out here' after you graduate next summer even though the marching band kids said they're totally cool with it."

"Nerd," Louise coughs.

" _As I was saying_ ," Gene says, shooting her a pointed look. "I have carefully weighed my options. My many, many options for post-secondary school. And what I've come to realize over the past few months is that there's _too many_ options to be weighed justly in such a short amount of time."

"Which is why we suggested you start looking last year," Bob mutters under his breath.

"Therefore," says Gene. "After a lot of thought and a lot of stress-eating and a lot of actually talking to a real guidance person at school, I have decided _not_ to go to college next year."

"Wait, what?" says Mom after a pause.

"So then where _are_ you going?" asks Dad.

"See, that's the thing!" Gene turns to his parents. "I know I want to study music, but I still haven't narrowed anyplace down that seems like it would be a good fit for me. And then it's like, ugh, what's the rush? These schools will still be here next year, right? So I guess what I'm saying is, I'm going to work in my own time to find someplace I really want to go instead of wasting your money right away?"

Bob and Linda share a look.

"I guess," Bob starts slowly, as Linda starts vibrating with excitement. "I- _we_ wouldn’t be opposed to having you live at home for another year?"

"Awww, yay, my teeny Genie's gonna stick around a little bit longer!" Linda grabs Gene from across the counter for a hug.

"Ow, Mom, you're hurting me!" Gene drops his megaphone and it rolls partway under Gretchen's booth. Someone starts clapping; Louise is pretty sure it's Teddy.

"Just one year, though," Dad adds as more people join in the confused applause. "While you help save up more money for your music school."

Louise tears her gaze away from Mom and Gene, staring down at her French fries as she blinks back what are definitely not tears of relief. _God_. She spent all that time worrying about Gene leaving, feeling like she might actually _die_ without at least one sibling around, and now she doesn't have to worry about what comes next at all? Tina will still be gone, but at least it won't be just her, Mom, and Dad. How is she supposed to deal with this... _relief_? It's _staggering_ , holy crap. She'll have to smack Gene tonight, once they're back upstairs. She'll have to give him a hug too, she supposes, just to even things out.

"Now see that," says Grandpa Bob to Mort. "There's a boy who appreciates his parents when they tell him he doesn't have to go to college."

"Not now, Dad," Bob interjects.

"What, I think it's nice," says Aunt Gayle. "Now I don't have to remember one more address right away when I'm sending you all birthday cards!"

"Yeah, and Gene can still help out around the restaurant," Tina adds before grimacing. "Oh crap," she adds as a whisper, "please don't let Grandpa latch onto that thought."

Teddy laughs. "Haaa, 'Gene help.' That's a good one."

"What?" Gene puts his hands on his hips. "I pull my weight around here! I'd have a lot more incentive if I got _paid money_ , but..."

"We'll take the half-assed efforts, and you'll take a free room-and-board," says Linda.

"Fine," Gene sighs as he hops down from the stool; a grin splits his face less than a second later. "Then I guess we have ourselves a deal!"

 

*****

 

Louise can’t sleep that night, which is great because Gene has her on lookout duty. She's still small enough to fit under the kitchen table, though not as comfortably as in years past. It had been her and Gene on dish duty that night, so it was easy to open the window to the fire escape and leave it with the excuse of it being a nice evening weather-wise. Now it's 12:30 AM and Louise is watching the half-open window like a hawk, waiting to help Gene get back inside without their parents finding out he was gone.

Somewhere in the apartment, a door opens. Louise doesn't move; she's an old pro at this. Still, she can't help the sense of dread that rises in her stomach at the sound of her parents' voices. Step One: failed. Crap.

"Lin, we can finish this conversation after I use the bathroom," her dad grumbles, his voice growing louder due to proximity.

"No," Linda argues in a whisper. "We're gonna talk about this now."

Her dad sighs. Louise feels gross, like she wants to be plugging her ears, but she's afraid to move.

"It's just..." Bob starts. "College is a huge opportunity, and I don't want Gene to miss out on it."

"Bobby, you're being ridiculous," says Linda.

"I'm not, Lin," her dad interjects before her mom can continue. "I'm just worried."

"Gene can go to college in a year or two, whenever he's ready," Linda argues. "It's not a one-time, 'window's closed forever' type deal if he doesn't go now."

"No, I know," says Bob. "But what if he decides after a year that he doesn't want to?"

"Did you go to college?" Mom asks.

With another sigh, Dad replies. "No."

"And didn't you turn out fine?" says Mom.

"That's different," Bob counters.

"Oh psssht," Linda retorts.

"I mean," Bob continues, "I didn't really have the opportunity or the money to go back then. I don't want Gene to waste what he has, I guess."

"What he has is two loving and supportive parents," Linda replies. "Look. You didn't go to college."

"I know," says Dad. "We've established that."

"Did you want to go to college?"

There's a pause, but not enough to make Louise any more uncomfortable.

"No," says Bob. "No, I didn't."

"Do you want to go now?" asks Linda. "Like if we had the money for it - "

"We don't."

"But if we did," Mom plows ahead, "would you or would you not want to?"

"Nnnnooo," says Dad. "No, I really would not. I would not enjoy that."

The floorboards creak; Louise can feel them shift a little from where she's sprawled on the kitchen floor.

"Are you happy, Bob?" Linda asks, softer than before. "You own your own restaurant, you have a family who loves you and who you’d do anything for. So what if Gene doesn’t want to go to college yet? You and me are gonna let him work in his own time because he’s _happy_ , Bobby."

There's another pause; Louise holds her breath. Then there's an exhale that has to be her dad, like he's finally letting go of something heavy.

"He is, isn't he?" Bob says. "Happy, I mean."

"Darn straight he is," says Linda. "Because you know who the best parents in the world are?"

Dad chuckles. "Lin, stop."

"I'm right, and I'm gonna say it," Mom continues. "We have the greatest kids because we're the greatest parents, and we know how to support them and make sacrifices for them, even if it means switching all the coffee in the house to decaf when Tina and then the other two decided they wanted to start drinking it. We do - "

" _What_?" Louise shouts before she can stop herself.

" _What_?" Louise starts and bangs her head on the underside of the table at her brother's dual shout. She winces and glances up to see Gene halfway in and halfway out the window, a look of betrayal on his face.

"AHA!" Linda bursts into the kitchen, Bob close behind. "Caught ya!"

"Oh my God," says Dad.

“I’m not saying I was better at sneaking out,” says Tina from somewhere behind their parents, “but I was totally better at sneaking out.”

"Lies!" Gene scrambles fully into the kitchen. "You had sneaker-outer's remorse for years! And I want nothing more to do with this family! If what you say is true, you should be ashamed to call yourselves our parents!"

"We did what we had to do," Bob says.

"Disgrace!" Gene counters. "Disgrace in the name of good and pure caffeinated beverages! I rebuke thee!"

Linda puts her hands on her hips and stares him down. "It's too late to complain, you already told everyone you were living here for another year."

Louise pulls herself out from under the table. "You're serious about the coffee?" she asks Bob.

"Yeaaahhh," her dad replies. "In our defense, we really couldn't handle all three of you on caffeine. It would not end well."

"Save it," says Louise, brushing past him. "Tina, did you know about this?"

"I mean, for a while I just thought I'd adjusting to it," Tina rambles, "but yeah, once I went to college and kept drinking coffee and realized it was a lot stronger there, it kind of made sense to connect those dots."

"Wow," Louise says. "Betrayal on every level. Come on, Gene," she shouts over her shoulder as she walks down the hall her to room. "You're the only real person in this town!"

"Yeah, we don't need your kind around here," Gene bellows behind her.

" _Louise, Gene, come back_ ," yells Bob. "You're not _not_ in trouble just because you walked into another part of the house!"

"That's what you think, Father!" Gene responds. "I mean, Robert!"

" _Gene_ ," says Dad.

"Eh, let 'em go, Bobby," Linda interjects. "We'll let them sleep for now - "

"Since we don't have any caffeine in our systems to keep us awake!" Louise yells back from her doorway.

"It's for your own good!" her parents shout in response.

Louise hears the floorboards creaking again. "Wait, Tina, where are you going?" Mom asks.

Her sister yawns. "I'm going to see what's on TV," says Tina. "Since we're all awake anyway and I don't feel like sleeping."

"Oooh, I could check out some late night shows!" Linda replies. "There's that freaky fake psychic lady on the local channel that takes calls in the middle of the night. She gave me goosebumps one night when she contacted another lady's great-grandfather who got shot down at the pier when there was a speakeasy - "

"That's great," Bob interrupts. "Still have to use bathroom soooo I'm going that way."

Louise pokes her head further out into the hallway. She pauses for a few more minutes before venturing out into the living room, greeted by the sight of her mom and sister flipping through channels and illuminated by blue light.

She sighs dramatically and flops down on the couch next to Tina. "I suppose I could stoop to offering a truce, just for tonight," she grumbles.

"That's the spirit," says Linda, handing the remote off to Tina. "Ooh, should I make popcorn?"

"YES," Gene yells from his room. "I'm just changing, I'll be out in a minute, don't put on anything news or news-related or sports!"

There's a loud sigh from the other end of the hall that can only be Bob. "I'll make some one my way back," he offers.

"Great, but wash your hands first," says Mom.

"Lin," Dad grumbles. Louise puts a hand over her mouth, pretending to cover a yawn when she's really trying to hide a laugh. Tina glances at her, but says nothing.


End file.
